Wednesday, March 25, 2009

'It's a big wake-up call. If you have casual sex and you are a male and a police officer, you are a target.'

COMMENT: The news story posted below underscores why we have this website. Yesterday we reported that a police recruit was cleared of rape charges because the serial false accuser who brought charges against him did not present credible evidence. Now news comes that the innocent man may not be welcomed back on the police force, according to this story posted in its entirety below this comment. The young man is now warning other men about the risks males face of having casual sex, and about the need to have a good lawyer and private investigator if they are ever falsely accused. He is stunned by the stigma attached to a false claim, as are most falsely accused men. On this website, we have often made the point that once unleashed, a rape lie -- unlike any other lie -- can destroy lives with a stunning, tragic completeness. Men and boys falsely accused of rape have been beaten and killed and have killed themselves; they've been fired from their jobs and lost their businesses; they've lost their wives, their girlfriends and their long-time buddies. Rarely do they ever come out of it whole, and for many, the ghost of a false rape claim trails them for the rest of their lives. Let us hope that the police do the right thing here and welcome the recruit back.

HERE IS THE NEWS STORY:

Police recruit faces uncertain future

A police recruit, who had a rape charge against him thrown out by a court today, faces an uncertain future as police decide whether to keep him on.

In the High Court at Wellington Justice Ronald Young dismissed a charge of rape against Mark James Tulloch, 31.

Justice Young ruled the complainant's evidence was not credible to instruct a jury.

After the charge was dismissed, Mr Tulloch told NZPA he was considering his plans for the future and was waiting to hear the outcome of his employment evaluation by the New Zealand Police.

A police media spokeswoman declined to comment on what future Mr Tulloch faced with the police, saying it was now an employment issue.

Mr Tulloch said the allegation had stained his reputation and would continue to affect his life and work.

"It's a big wake-up call. If you have casual sex and you are a male and a police officer, you are a target," he said.

"I believe that if a guy gets into this situation, if you are not lucky enough to have a good lawyer and a good private investigator, there's a good chance you'll be found guilty."

Tulloch said having to repeatedly explain he didn't do it to friends and family was "absolutely shocking".

His name had not been suppressed and he was suspended from police college after the allegation was made.

He was also suspended from the territorial army.

In court yesterday, defence lawyer Mike Antunovic said the solo mother of three had an extensive history of making false complaints.

They included one against her current partner of assaulting her and molesting her daughter, two other rape complaints and a $14,000 jewellery theft by a former flatmate.

The woman had also previously been committed to hospital for mental illness and had boasted to a flatmate she was going to be "bigger than Louise Nicholas" and would "have the jury eating out of the palm of her hand".

Mr Tulloch and the complainant met on the website www.NZDating.co.nz, moving from chatting online, to cellphone messages, finally having sex at the woman's house.

Mr Tulloch said today he was now looking to police to follow up on the woman's false complaints that turned the last year of his life into hell.